1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing compounds having a double bond at an end of the molecule (hereinafter referred to as terminal olefin). More particularly, the invention relates to a method for producing terminal olefins by the dehydration of compounds represented by the general formula ##STR2## wherein R is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbon group having optionally double bonds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Terminal olefins are very useful industrially as raw materials of heat-resistant polymers, comonomers constituting polyolefins, starting materials for producing detergents, and so forth.
It is known that olefins can be produced by the dehydration of compounds represented by formula (I) above. Details of this method can be known, for example, from J. Am. Chem. Soc., 85, 2180 (1968) and Oil Chemistry (Japan), 17, 236(1968).
However, the dehydration over the usual solid acid catalyst yields mainly internal olefins and the selective production of terminal olefins has been impossible in this way. While the dehydration catalyzed by zirconium oxide is also known, the selectivity of such simple zirconium oxide to terminal olefins is not always high but varies depending upon the nature of zirconium oxide used. Although thorium oxide is known as a catalyst for selective productions of terminal olefins, there are difficulties in the industrial use of thorium oxide as a catalyst since thorium, a radioactive element, gives rise to serious problems of safety.